In both EIBTM and ILTM in Cannes we have had confirmation of our first impression about working with Indian planners last year: among the European players (suppliers) there is a very big interest for the Indian market, but at the same time they (with very few exceptions) simply have NO clue what it is all about, and what Indians look for!

Compared to last year, though we have noticed a sightly different approach: suppliers are still quite hesitant to work with Indians, but there is some more "courage" and openess, hence we are even more confident to be able to find the right solutions always for Indian customers in European destinations. To be confident, one needs to have the knowledge of both the destination(s) and also the understanding of the clients' needs/mindset (that can be a total "black hole" for almost all the other players!). The Indian players, on the other hand, of course know their market very well, but have very little knowledge of the destination(s), and even when they think to have it, they have a stereotype perception of the European reality so they risk (basically all the times) to mix up things.

The issue is on the demand (the Indian) side: right after the EP road-show we have had some good contacts, but many of them have "vanished in the air". In any case, all of them have demonstrated a general quite "rudimentary" and often ineffective way of working (that is exactly what scares or really frighten the European suplliers!). We are not blaming nor criticizing but this is something both sides have to see and solve together, to be effective and in a win-win situation.

We would "simply" like to find the right "way/gate" to work with Indian clients and do exactly what was said during the first camp-fire in Delhi, led by a well known wedding and event planner who was visibly "ahead" in his understanding compared to many other visitors. He was simply asking to us (exhibitors) basically one thing: "(true and trustworthy) cooperation". The reason is simple: after years spent working in the Indian "standard way", he has realized that, if everything is taken into consideration, true cooperation with suppliers is the only effective way to maximize clients' satisfaction... and ROI! From our side (at least as PME and our European co-exhibitors) such a request is something definitely quite straightforward and obvious.

So the real issue is HOW to help Indian players (decision makers, influencers, counsellors, event planners) and European suppliers understand each other and start working in that way.If that happens, then the "bingo" is done!… because it becomes a win-win game for both the parties!

This blog strives to echoe the voice of the experiential planner's community in India, essentially the experts creating trends in the Indian MICE industry. In my role as Head-Brand & Content of two of the most active and updated media / marketing platforms of the MICE industry in India -- tmf India and EVENTFAQS, my advantage is the ease in access and the constant updates I receive from the MICE industry in India. I look to do justice in compiling and relating back to the MICE industry at large the true pulse of the market in India. Many of these being an outcome of our own efforts in engaging this community.

Who is the Decision-Maker?

An extremely pertinent question, boggling the minds of most of the service and destination promoters in the MICE industry… And us! Our businesses jointly depend on reaching out to the right potential organisation / individual that takes that all-important-call of what destination to take their next programme to (and what services / hotels / venues to use)? But is it really just one individual? Is it really a decision that's made one fine day, given the influences of only this one person? Of course not! The fact is, that even within the corporation, there is a team, there's a whole bunch of participants. And even though one person is at the helm of this, actually driving a decision, the influencers are many!

So that leads us to the next pertinent question. Do we promote / market to this driver alone or to the influencers as well? Any established organisation in business for a considerable number of years, has a fair understanding of the aspirations of the participants in a MICE programme. Not to mention, also has what they term as "a trusted event partner" (the words of the corporate spokesperson, not me!). So of course they are influenced! They are even inviting these opinions, not just subjected to them.

We've qualified this group of 'drivers' and 'influencers' as the Experiential Planner! A community that is described by its name, consisting of individuals that are planning experiential MICE programmes, the one's that are looking to push the bar, take advantage of the uniqueness of each destination, take up the innovative activities, engage at out-of-the-box venues. And since this community has been built through profiling individuals that have been key either in influencing or deciding on the aspects of the MICE programme, they include corporate division heads, sales / R&R heads, Marketing heads, heads of agencies both event and MICE specialising and of course heads of Incentive houses.

In the ongoing engagement (yes, we chat often!) with the community, the most valuable outcome for us is feedback. We've learnt about the kind of information these individuals seek when planning a MICE programme, what works as far as the communication / marketing material to them goes and most importantly what they want, but aren't getting! Of course we're not letting this information go to waste… We're using it to design our products and services. We're researching these products back with the community and fine-tuning them. We're delivering more value back to our clients, while actually just satisfying the community with the information / knowledge they want! There's something exciting in the pipe-line, a ready-reckoner so to say, a tool to aid decision making. We're calling the Experiential Planner's HANDBOOK. Watch this space for more details shortly!

This blog strives to echoe the voice of the experiential planner's community in India, essentially the experts creating trends in the Indian MICE industry. In my role as Head-Brand & Content of two of the most active and updated media / marketing platforms of the MICE industry in India -- tmf India and EVENTFAQS, my advantage is the ease in access and the constant updates I receive from the MICE industry in India. I look to do justice in compiling and relating back to the MICE industry at large the true pulse of the market in India. Many of these being an outcome of our own efforts in engaging this community.

Who is the Decision-Maker?

An extremely pertinent question, boggling the minds of most of the service and destination promoters in the MICE industry… And us! Our businesses jointly depend on reaching out to the right potential organisation / individual that takes that all-important-call of what destination to take their next programme to (and what services / hotels / venues to use)? But is it really just one individual? Is it really a decision that's made one fine day, given the influences of only this one person? Of course not! The fact is, that even within the corporation, there is a team, there's a whole bunch of participants. And even though one person is at the helm of this, actually driving a decision, the influencers are many!

So that leads us to the next pertinent question. Do we promote / market to this driver alone or to the influencers as well? Any established organisation in business for a considerable number of years, has a fair understanding of the aspirations of the participants in a MICE programme. Not to mention, also has what they term as "a trusted event partner" (the words of the corporate spokesperson, not me!). So of course they are influenced! They are even inviting these opinions, not just subjected to them.

We've qualified this group of 'drivers' and 'influencers' as the Experiential Planner! A community that is described by its name, consisting of individuals that are planning experiential MICE programmes, the one's that are looking to push the bar, take advantage of the uniqueness of each destination, take up the innovative activities, engage at out-of-the-box venues. And since this community has been built through profiling individuals that have been key either in influencing or deciding on the aspects of the MICE programme, they include corporate division heads, sales / R&R heads, Marketing heads, heads of agencies both event and MICE specialising and of course heads of Incentive houses.

In the ongoing engagement (yes, we chat often!) with the community, the most valuable outcome for us is feedback. We've learnt about the kind of information these individuals seek when planning a MICE programme, what works as far as the communication / marketing material to them goes and most importantly what they want, but aren't getting! Of course we're not letting this information go to waste… We're using it to design our products and services. We're researching these products back with the community and fine-tuning them. We're delivering more value back to our clients, while actually just satisfying the community with the information / knowledge they want! There's something exciting in the pipe-line, a ready-reckoner so to say, a tool to aid decision making. We're calling the Experiential Planner's HANDBOOK. Watch this space for more details shortly!

This blog strives to echoe the voice of the experiential planner's community in India, essentially the experts creating trends in the Indian MICE industry. In my role as Head-Brand & Content of two of the most active and updated media / marketing platforms of the MICE industry in India -- tmf India and EVENTFAQS, my advantage is the ease in access and the constant updates I receive from the MICE industry in India. I look to do justice in compiling and relating back to the MICE industry at large the true pulse of the market in India. Many of these being an outcome of our own efforts in engaging this community.

Who is the Decision-Maker?

An extremely pertinent question, boggling the minds of most of the service and destination promoters in the MICE industry… And us! Our businesses jointly depend on reaching out to the right potential organisation / individual that takes that all-important-call of what destination to take their next programme to (and what services / hotels / venues to use)? But is it really just one individual? Is it really a decision that's made one fine day, given the influences of only this one person? Of course not! The fact is, that even within the corporation, there is a team, there's a whole bunch of participants. And even though one person is at the helm of this, actually driving a decision, the influencers are many!

So that leads us to the next pertinent question. Do we promote / market to this driver alone or to the influencers as well? Any established organisation in business for a considerable number of years, has a fair understanding of the aspirations of the participants in a MICE programme. Not to mention, also has what they term as "a trusted event partner" (the words of the corporate spokesperson, not me!). So of course they are influenced! They are even inviting these opinions, not just subjected to them.

We've qualified this group of 'drivers' and 'influencers' as the Experiential Planner! A community that is described by its name, consisting of individuals that are planning experiential MICE programmes, the one's that are looking to push the bar, take advantage of the uniqueness of each destination, take up the innovative activities, engage at out-of-the-box venues. And since this community has been built through profiling individuals that have been key either in influencing or deciding on the aspects of the MICE programme, they include corporate division heads, sales / R&R heads, Marketing heads, heads of agencies both event and MICE specialising and of course heads of Incentive houses.

In the ongoing engagement (yes, we chat often!) with the community, the most valuable outcome for us is feedback. We've learnt about the kind of information these individuals seek when planning a MICE programme, what works as far as the communication / marketing material to them goes and most importantly what they want, but aren't getting! Of course we're not letting this information go to waste… We're using it to design our products and services. We're researching these products back with the community and fine-tuning them. We're delivering more value back to our clients, while actually just satisfying the community with the information / knowledge they want! There's something exciting in the pipe-line, a ready-reckoner so to say, a tool to aid decision making. We're calling the Experiential Planner's HANDBOOK. Watch this space for more details shortly!

This blog strives to echoe the voice of the experiential planner's community in India, essentially the experts creating trends in the Indian MICE industry. In my role as Head-Brand & Content of two of the most active and updated media / marketing platforms of the MICE industry in India -- tmf India and EVENTFAQS, my advantage is the ease in access and the constant updates I receive from the MICE industry in India. I look to do justice in compiling and relating back to the MICE industry at large the true pulse of the market in India. Many of these being an outcome of our own efforts in engaging this community.

Who is the Decision-Maker?

An extremely pertinent question, boggling the minds of most of the service and destination promoters in the MICE industry… And us! Our businesses jointly depend on reaching out to the right potential organisation / individual that takes that all-important-call of what destination to take their next programme to (and what services / hotels / venues to use)? But is it really just one individual? Is it really a decision that's made one fine day, given the influences of only this one person? Of course not! The fact is, that even within the corporation, there is a team, there's a whole bunch of participants. And even though one person is at the helm of this, actually driving a decision, the influencers are many!

So that leads us to the next pertinent question. Do we promote / market to this driver alone or to the influencers as well? Any established organisation in business for a considerable number of years, has a fair understanding of the aspirations of the participants in a MICE programme. Not to mention, also has what they term as "a trusted event partner" (the words of the corporate spokesperson, not me!). So of course they are influenced! They are even inviting these opinions, not just subjected to them.

We've qualified this group of 'drivers' and 'influencers' as the Experiential Planner! A community that is described by its name, consisting of individuals that are planning experiential MICE programmes, the one's that are looking to push the bar, take advantage of the uniqueness of each destination, take up the innovative activities, engage at out-of-the-box venues. And since this community has been built through profiling individuals that have been key either in influencing or deciding on the aspects of the MICE programme, they include corporate division heads, sales / R&R heads, Marketing heads, heads of agencies both event and MICE specialising and of course heads of Incentive houses.

In the ongoing engagement (yes, we chat often!) with the community, the most valuable outcome for us is feedback. We've learnt about the kind of information these individuals seek when planning a MICE programme, what works as far as the communication / marketing material to them goes and most importantly what they want, but aren't getting! Of course we're not letting this information go to waste… We're using it to design our products and services. We're researching these products back with the community and fine-tuning them. We're delivering more value back to our clients, while actually just satisfying the community with the information / knowledge they want! There's something exciting in the pipe-line, a ready-reckoner so to say, a tool to aid decision making. We're calling the Experiential Planner's HANDBOOK. Watch this space for more details shortly!

This blog strives to echoe the voice of the experiential planner's community in India, essentially the experts creating trends in the Indian MICE industry. In my role as Head-Brand & Content of two of the most active and updated media / marketing platforms of the MICE industry in India -- tmf India and EVENTFAQS, my advantage is the ease in access and the constant updates I receive from the MICE industry in India. I look to do justice in compiling and relating back to the MICE industry at large the true pulse of the market in India. Many of these being an outcome of our own efforts in engaging this community.

Who is the Decision-Maker?

An extremely pertinent question, boggling the minds of most of the service and destination promoters in the MICE industry… And us! Our businesses jointly depend on reaching out to the right potential organisation / individual that takes that all-important-call of what destination to take their next programme to (and what services / hotels / venues to use)? But is it really just one individual? Is it really a decision that's made one fine day, given the influences of only this one person? Of course not! The fact is, that even within the corporation, there is a team, there's a whole bunch of participants. And even though one person is at the helm of this, actually driving a decision, the influencers are many!

So that leads us to the next pertinent question. Do we promote / market to this driver alone or to the influencers as well? Any established organisation in business for a considerable number of years, has a fair understanding of the aspirations of the participants in a MICE programme. Not to mention, also has what they term as "a trusted event partner" (the words of the corporate spokesperson, not me!). So of course they are influenced! They are even inviting these opinions, not just subjected to them.

We've qualified this group of 'drivers' and 'influencers' as the Experiential Planner! A community that is described by its name, consisting of individuals that are planning experiential MICE programmes, the one's that are looking to push the bar, take advantage of the uniqueness of each destination, take up the innovative activities, engage at out-of-the-box venues. And since this community has been built through profiling individuals that have been key either in influencing or deciding on the aspects of the MICE programme, they include corporate division heads, sales / R&R heads, Marketing heads, heads of agencies both event and MICE specialising and of course heads of Incentive houses.

In the ongoing engagement (yes, we chat often!) with the community, the most valuable outcome for us is feedback. We've learnt about the kind of information these individuals seek when planning a MICE programme, what works as far as the communication / marketing material to them goes and most importantly what they want, but aren't getting! Of course we're not letting this information go to waste… We're using it to design our products and services. We're researching these products back with the community and fine-tuning them. We're delivering more value back to our clients, while actually just satisfying the community with the information / knowledge they want! There's something exciting in the pipe-line, a ready-reckoner so to say, a tool to aid decision making. We're calling the Experiential Planner's HANDBOOK. Watch this space for more details shortly!

This blog strives to echoe the voice of the experiential planner's community in India, essentially the experts creating trends in the Indian MICE industry. In my role as Head-Brand & Content of two of the most active and updated media / marketing platforms of the MICE industry in India -- tmf India and EVENTFAQS, my advantage is the ease in access and the constant updates I receive from the MICE industry in India. I look to do justice in compiling and relating back to the MICE industry at large the true pulse of the market in India. Many of these being an outcome of our own efforts in engaging this community.

Who is the Decision-Maker?

An extremely pertinent question, boggling the minds of most of the service and destination promoters in the MICE industry… And us! Our businesses jointly depend on reaching out to the right potential organisation / individual that takes that all-important-call of what destination to take their next programme to (and what services / hotels / venues to use)? But is it really just one individual? Is it really a decision that's made one fine day, given the influences of only this one person? Of course not! The fact is, that even within the corporation, there is a team, there's a whole bunch of participants. And even though one person is at the helm of this, actually driving a decision, the influencers are many!

So that leads us to the next pertinent question. Do we promote / market to this driver alone or to the influencers as well? Any established organisation in business for a considerable number of years, has a fair understanding of the aspirations of the participants in a MICE programme. Not to mention, also has what they term as "a trusted event partner" (the words of the corporate spokesperson, not me!). So of course they are influenced! They are even inviting these opinions, not just subjected to them.

We've qualified this group of 'drivers' and 'influencers' as the Experiential Planner! A community that is described by its name, consisting of individuals that are planning experiential MICE programmes, the one's that are looking to push the bar, take advantage of the uniqueness of each destination, take up the innovative activities, engage at out-of-the-box venues. And since this community has been built through profiling individuals that have been key either in influencing or deciding on the aspects of the MICE programme, they include corporate division heads, sales / R&R heads, Marketing heads, heads of agencies both event and MICE specialising and of course heads of Incentive houses.

In the ongoing engagement (yes, we chat often!) with the community, the most valuable outcome for us is feedback. We've learnt about the kind of information these individuals seek when planning a MICE programme, what works as far as the communication / marketing material to them goes and most importantly what they want, but aren't getting! Of course we're not letting this information go to waste… We're using it to design our products and services. We're researching these products back with the community and fine-tuning them. We're delivering more value back to our clients, while actually just satisfying the community with the information / knowledge they want! There's something exciting in the pipe-line, a ready-reckoner so to say, a tool to aid decision making. We're calling the Experiential Planner's HANDBOOK. Watch this space for more details shortly!

This blog strives to echoe the voice of the experiential planner's community in India, essentially the experts creating trends in the Indian MICE industry. In my role as Head-Brand & Content of two of the most active and updated media / marketing platforms of the MICE industry in India -- tmf India and EVENTFAQS, my advantage is the ease in access and the constant updates I receive from the MICE industry in India. I look to do justice in compiling and relating back to the MICE industry at large the true pulse of the market in India. Many of these being an outcome of our own efforts in engaging this community.

Who is the Decision-Maker?

An extremely pertinent question, boggling the minds of most of the service and destination promoters in the MICE industry… And us! Our businesses jointly depend on reaching out to the right potential organisation / individual that takes that all-important-call of what destination to take their next programme to (and what services / hotels / venues to use)? But is it really just one individual? Is it really a decision that's made one fine day, given the influences of only this one person? Of course not! The fact is, that even within the corporation, there is a team, there's a whole bunch of participants. And even though one person is at the helm of this, actually driving a decision, the influencers are many!

So that leads us to the next pertinent question. Do we promote / market to this driver alone or to the influencers as well? Any established organisation in business for a considerable number of years, has a fair understanding of the aspirations of the participants in a MICE programme. Not to mention, also has what they term as "a trusted event partner" (the words of the corporate spokesperson, not me!). So of course they are influenced! They are even inviting these opinions, not just subjected to them.

We've qualified this group of 'drivers' and 'influencers' as the Experiential Planner! A community that is described by its name, consisting of individuals that are planning experiential MICE programmes, the one's that are looking to push the bar, take advantage of the uniqueness of each destination, take up the innovative activities, engage at out-of-the-box venues. And since this community has been built through profiling individuals that have been key either in influencing or deciding on the aspects of the MICE programme, they include corporate division heads, sales / R&R heads, Marketing heads, heads of agencies both event and MICE specialising and of course heads of Incentive houses.

In the ongoing engagement (yes, we chat often!) with the community, the most valuable outcome for us is feedback. We've learnt about the kind of information these individuals seek when planning a MICE programme, what works as far as the communication / marketing material to them goes and most importantly what they want, but aren't getting! Of course we're not letting this information go to waste… We're using it to design our products and services. We're researching these products back with the community and fine-tuning them. We're delivering more value back to our clients, while actually just satisfying the community with the information / knowledge they want! There's something exciting in the pipe-line, a ready-reckoner so to say, a tool to aid decision making. We're calling the Experiential Planner's HANDBOOK. Watch this space for more details shortly!

This blog strives to echoe the voice of the experiential planner's community in India, essentially the experts creating trends in the Indian MICE industry. In my role as Head-Brand & Content of two of the most active and updated media / marketing platforms of the MICE industry in India -- tmf India and EVENTFAQS, my advantage is the ease in access and the constant updates I receive from the MICE industry in India. I look to do justice in compiling and relating back to the MICE industry at large the true pulse of the market in India. Many of these being an outcome of our own efforts in engaging this community.

Who is the Decision-Maker?

An extremely pertinent question, boggling the minds of most of the service and destination promoters in the MICE industry… And us! Our businesses jointly depend on reaching out to the right potential organisation / individual that takes that all-important-call of what destination to take their next programme to (and what services / hotels / venues to use)? But is it really just one individual? Is it really a decision that's made one fine day, given the influences of only this one person? Of course not! The fact is, that even within the corporation, there is a team, there's a whole bunch of participants. And even though one person is at the helm of this, actually driving a decision, the influencers are many!

So that leads us to the next pertinent question. Do we promote / market to this driver alone or to the influencers as well? Any established organisation in business for a considerable number of years, has a fair understanding of the aspirations of the participants in a MICE programme. Not to mention, also has what they term as "a trusted event partner" (the words of the corporate spokesperson, not me!). So of course they are influenced! They are even inviting these opinions, not just subjected to them.

We've qualified this group of 'drivers' and 'influencers' as the Experiential Planner! A community that is described by its name, consisting of individuals that are planning experiential MICE programmes, the one's that are looking to push the bar, take advantage of the uniqueness of each destination, take up the innovative activities, engage at out-of-the-box venues. And since this community has been built through profiling individuals that have been key either in influencing or deciding on the aspects of the MICE programme, they include corporate division heads, sales / R&R heads, Marketing heads, heads of agencies both event and MICE specialising and of course heads of Incentive houses.

In the ongoing engagement (yes, we chat often!) with the community, the most valuable outcome for us is feedback. We've learnt about the kind of information these individuals seek when planning a MICE programme, what works as far as the communication / marketing material to them goes and most importantly what they want, but aren't getting! Of course we're not letting this information go to waste… We're using it to design our products and services. We're researching these products back with the community and fine-tuning them. We're delivering more value back to our clients, while actually just satisfying the community with the information / knowledge they want! There's something exciting in the pipe-line, a ready-reckoner so to say, a tool to aid decision making. We're calling the Experiential Planner's HANDBOOK. Watch this space for more details shortly!

This blog strives to echoe the voice of the experiential planner's community in India, essentially the experts creating trends in the Indian MICE industry. In my role as Head-Brand & Content of two of the most active and updated media / marketing platforms of the MICE industry in India -- tmf India and EVENTFAQS, my advantage is the ease in access and the constant updates I receive from the MICE industry in India. I look to do justice in compiling and relating back to the MICE industry at large the true pulse of the market in India. Many of these being an outcome of our own efforts in engaging this community.

Who is the Decision-Maker?

An extremely pertinent question, boggling the minds of most of the service and destination promoters in the MICE industry… And us! Our businesses jointly depend on reaching out to the right potential organisation / individual that takes that all-important-call of what destination to take their next programme to (and what services / hotels / venues to use)? But is it really just one individual? Is it really a decision that's made one fine day, given the influences of only this one person? Of course not! The fact is, that even within the corporation, there is a team, there's a whole bunch of participants. And even though one person is at the helm of this, actually driving a decision, the influencers are many!

So that leads us to the next pertinent question. Do we promote / market to this driver alone or to the influencers as well? Any established organisation in business for a considerable number of years, has a fair understanding of the aspirations of the participants in a MICE programme. Not to mention, also has what they term as "a trusted event partner" (the words of the corporate spokesperson, not me!). So of course they are influenced! They are even inviting these opinions, not just subjected to them.

We've qualified this group of 'drivers' and 'influencers' as the Experiential Planner! A community that is described by its name, consisting of individuals that are planning experiential MICE programmes, the one's that are looking to push the bar, take advantage of the uniqueness of each destination, take up the innovative activities, engage at out-of-the-box venues. And since this community has been built through profiling individuals that have been key either in influencing or deciding on the aspects of the MICE programme, they include corporate division heads, sales / R&R heads, Marketing heads, heads of agencies both event and MICE specialising and of course heads of Incentive houses.

In the ongoing engagement (yes, we chat often!) with the community, the most valuable outcome for us is feedback. We've learnt about the kind of information these individuals seek when planning a MICE programme, what works as far as the communication / marketing material to them goes and most importantly what they want, but aren't getting! Of course we're not letting this information go to waste… We're using it to design our products and services. We're researching these products back with the community and fine-tuning them. We're delivering more value back to our clients, while actually just satisfying the community with the information / knowledge they want! There's something exciting in the pipe-line, a ready-reckoner so to say, a tool to aid decision making. We're calling the Experiential Planner's HANDBOOK. Watch this space for more details shortly!